2025 MSU Custom Work Rates Report
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EmailThe 2025 report covers a wide range of field machine operations.
Many farm operations reach out to other farms to help fulfill production activities. These custom operators can fill a gap that would otherwise make it difficult to meet farm goals. The MSU Custom Work Rates Report offers a base to determine a fair exchange value for both the provider and recipient of custom work.
The 2025 MSU Custom Work Rates Report covers a wide number of basic field machine operations. It provides a summary of the estimated costs of these operations based on the University of Minnesota’s machinery cost estimator spreadsheet. The MSU Custom Work Rates Report provides Michigan-based estimates of the costs of operating machinery in these different production tasks. This publication divides the costs into some of their component parts. The 2025 MSU Custom Work Rates Report Summary provides a list of totals, also dividing them between labor and equipment costs.
Custom operators may want to adjust these amounts to reflect economic conditions or other local factors. Rates can be different in areas of Michigan depending upon several factors. These can include field size and shape; ease of access; amount of non-farm traffic to get to the field; machine size and road or bridge widths; trash in the field; weed history; trees or brush hindering work; depth and amount of field drainage tile; payment arrangements; and other factors.
Individual operators may also need to consider their actual costs and adjust their custom rate charge accordingly. For example, they may need to adjust for the local price of fuel and differences in size or efficiency of the machine work done. It is common for small custom jobs to have a 20% to 30% higher cost of operation than a larger job. The MSU Custom Rates Calculator spreadsheet is available for more in-depth evaluation of individual costs for custom operation. The MSU Custom Rates Worksheet is a pdf version of this calculator. This worksheet is also included in the 2025 MSU Custom Work Rates Report publication.
Helpful Links
2025 MSU Custom Work Rates Report Summary
2025 MSU Custom Work Rates Report
MSU Custom Rates Calculator (xls)
MSU Custom Rates Worksheet (pdf)
University of Minnesota’s Machinery Economic Cost Estimates worksheet
